Welcome G8-G20ers

Hello protesters, business leaders and politicians from around the world.

Welcome to Canada and specifically to Huntsville and Toronto.

Make yourselves comfortable, but not too comfortable. We want you to have a good time and check out everything that makes Canada great, but please remember we do not want you to destroy our buildings, damage our homes and turn this country into a war zone.

Here in Canada, we welcome you to share your stories and demand change but we think you can make your point without being violent and destructive.

I thought our boss should give us today off because I traffic would be dreadful. It actually wasn’t too bad this morning, likely because anyone who could avoid working today took the day off.

I am not sure if it will mean the drive north will be awful as people who couldn’t leave yesterday will make the trek to their cottages tonight.

Let’s hope not.

While I don’t like being stuck in traffic coming to work, I really hate it when I am stuck in it driving home.

I am fortunate to not have to cover the summit for work and am extremely lucky not to live in downtown Toronto. However, a small part of me thinks it would be fun to be in the thick of it. If I lived downtown, I think I would park my car and watch the action unfold.

A special thank you
And a special thank you to designer Jo from Coconut Palm Designs. I was surprised to see my new header on my blog this morning.

It looks great. Thank you so much.

Thursday Thoughts

Yugh traffic
Traffic has been crazy these last few weeks.

Around the time college and university students were saying farewell to another school year, traffic was fantastic – I barely touched the brake the whole way down the highway.

Then a few weeks ago, traffic became worse then it has been since my return to the daily commute. It stops and rarely picks up again.

The great news is there is only one month until the summer travel season.

Great weather
Southern Ontario weather has been fantastic recently – hot and sunny. I spoke to someone from Greenpeace in Vancouver, British Columbia, and she said the west coast city’s weather has been horrific – rain, rain and then rain again.

But rain, I suppose, is better than snow, which is what relatives in Calgary woke up to last week. Hee, hee.

Saving the world
I am feeling the need to do more for the world, which of course can only help us as individuals. I am in the process of doing interviews for a couple of stories, which I am really proud of.

I don’t often link my personal blog to my work site, but I do think I will make an exception for these two stories, which I hope offers people ways they can also help this world.

Homeless pets
I think I want to start volunteering with my son. I think we are going to play with the cats and walk the dogs at our local animal shelter.

SickKids Hospital
I also really want to do something for the Hospital for Sick Children. Longtime blog readers will know this downtown Toronto facility, which is world-renowned, literally saved my son’s life when he was one month old.

I read a lot of blogs written by Americans and it always breaks my heart, and makes me so thankful to be Canadian, to read about sick children and their families, who, instead of only having to be concerned about getting the best treatment for their loved ones, have to worry about raising money to pay for treatment.

Everyone at SickKids do so much, not only for Canadian children, but children around the world.

Ideas anyone?

It was Raining, It was Pouring

It was raining this morning so I sat in traffic for an extra half an hour.

However, I was thankful it was just rain.

Yesterday, the weather forecasters were predicting freezing rain north of the city, which is where I call home.

I don’t mind snowstorms. I can handle rain. But I hate freezing rain. As one local DJ commented on the radio last night, ‘What can you do with freezing rain?’

Slid, skid, loose control, crash. That is what you can do with freezing rain.

Friday Rambles

• It took me just more than two hours to get to work this morning. It wasn’t the snow that was falling that was the problem, rather the snow that was already on the ground making it impossible to see what side of the road you are on.
Someone needs to invent a heated middle line so you know you where you are.

• At about 7 a.m. this morning, someone from the City of Toronto came on the radio to tell us that in a few hours the snowploughs should be starting their routes. What! Shouldn’t they already be out? What are they waiting for?

• I followed an older man driving a newer model Mercedes Benz the other morning and his license plate was RICH IQ.
What does that mean? Is he suggesting because he is rich he has a higher IQ? Perhaps it isn’t right for me to be annoyed but arrogance is a trait that really annoys me.

• Friday is here. Happy weekend everyone.

Curse the drivers

I was late getting into work this morning.

There wasn’t a snowstorm nor was there an accident. Instead there was a car and a truck at the side of the highway and then another car and a tractor-trailer on the side of the highway a little further along.

They didn’t hit each other. There was no broken glass or smashed vehicles. There were no flashing lights of a police car, tow truck or ambulance. There were no people trying to flag us down or dodge between cars.

There were just four vehicles at the side of the road.

But those vehicles had hundreds of people in their cars stopped on Hwy. 404, moving less than five kilometres per hour for several exits.

People, if you want to gawk become a passenger. Don’t waste my time.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I have been getting to work in record time this week.

Christmas, March Break and the summer are all great times to travel on Hwy. 404 because so many people take vacation.

I left 10 minutes late yesterday and that would usual cause morning stress but I just zipped through all the usual slow spots.

It’s almost a shame that I am also off next week - almost, but not quite.

Ah Friday

Fridays are a wonderful.

Other than for the obvious reason, Fridays are also wonderful because there is less traffic.

I can leave at the same time, drive at the same speed and make it into work 10 minutes earlier. I can flip on the radio, turn on the Christmas tunes on the iPod and just drive, rarely touching the brakes.

Every day could be Wonderful-Traffic Fridays if more companies would embrace the idea of telecommuting and flex hours. Not only would it make for happy employees, companies would be doing their part for the environment.

One more thing:

Happy Hanukkah to everyone who celebrates the Festival of Lights.